Adjustable coupler carrier



E. H. BLATTNER ADJUSTABLE COUPLER CARRIER Filed Deo. 16, 195s s" "W4 Nov. 5, 1957 FIG. 4

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United States Patent l ADJUSTABLE COUPLER CARRIER Emil H. Blattner, Williamsville, N. Y., asslgnor 1to The Symington-Gould Corporation, Depew, N. Y., a l.corporation of Maryland j Application December 16, 195s, serial No. 398,463

9 claims. (c1. 21a- 61) This invention relates to a resilient coupler carrier and has for its primary object the provision of means for selectively adjusting the height of the carrier to compensate for wear.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved height adjusting means for a spring-'supported coupler carrier wherein adjustment means are mounted at either side of the coupler for progressively and selectively adjusting the maximum height of .the coupler carrier to compensate for wear.

An additional object of the invention is Ato provide height adjusting means for a spring-supported coupler carrier in the form of rotatable disks having portions of different thickness which may be mounted in place of the conventional retaining means and, with associated shims, enable the maximum height lof the coupler carrier to be progressively increased to maintain the coupler at constant height while maintaining vuniform the torce exerted on `the coupler carrier by the supporting springs.

Other objects and advantages of 'the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be vparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly vin section, of `a combined striking casting and spring supporting coupler carrier to which has been applied a preferred form of the coupler carrier height adjusting meanstof the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational yview of .the arrangement of Figure l with portions broken .up and shown in section to illu-strate more'clearly ncertain of the details of the construction;

`Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional viewtaken along the lines 3--3 of Figure 2, showing 'the application of shims between the spring plate and the bottom L'wall of the striking casting;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken alongthe lines 4 4 of Figure l;

Figure 5 is a horizo-ntal sectional view taken along the lines 5 5 of Figure l; and

Figure 6 is an inverted isometric view on anerilarged scale of one ofthe adjusting disks.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in whichlike reference characters designate like parts the improved coupler carrier height adjusting means of thepresent'invention, while applicable to Vany resiliently supported coupler carrier whose maximum height s normallyvixed by retaining plates or like means carried by a striking casting or like associated draft structure, has been applied for purposes of illustration to a Icombined striking casting'and-coupler carrier for a proposed A. A. R. type F coupler.

The striking casting of the above arrangement, designated as 1, is designed to be secured tosthe centersill's (not shown) of a railway car (not shown) as by riveting or welding and has a substantially rectangular opening 2 for the reception of the` shank 3 .ofan associated coupler.

2,812,074 Patented Nov. 5, 1.957

ICC

Formed integrally with the striking casting and defining the sides of the opening, are a pair of vertically directed, laterally spaced side walls 4, which are connected below the opening fby a pair of vertically directed longitudinally spaced front and rear Walls or webs 5. The kfront and rear walls 5, in turn, are connected at -their lower extremities by a base or bottom web .or wall 6 which, together with the front and rear walls and the lower portions of the side walls 4, define an upwardly opening pocket 7. As shown, the Iside walls 4 terminate short of the lower extremities of the front and rear walls 5 of the pocket, providing the pocket at either side with a lateral or side aperture or opening 8, opening onto the base wall 6.

Seated in the pocket 7 and having an upper or top substantially horizontal wall 9 for supporting the shank 3 of the coupler is a coupler carrier 10 of the type conventionally employed with the type F coupler. coupler carrier 10 is of substantially box-shape below its upper wall and has afdownwardly opening cavity or pocket 11 below its upper wall 9, the cavi-ty being bounded vertically by spaced end walls 12 and side walls 13 integral withand depending from the upper wall 9 and connected to each other at their ends. Within this cavity 11 `are received the upper ends of resilient supporting means 14, preferably in the form of a plurality of coil springs, the supporting springs -14 being rpositioned relative to vthe coupler carrier by bosses 15 downstanding within `the cavity .11 from the upper wall '9. Supported at their lower ends on the bottom wall 6 of the striking casting y1, the springs 14 are spaced .upwardly from the upper surface of this wall by a spring plate 16, bo'ssed as at 17, for positioning the springs, the spring plate ybeing removable through either of the .lateral openings y8 and being positioned or held against .lateral displacement over ka limited range of vertical 4adjustments by positioning lugs 18 carried by the front and rear walls 5 ofthe pocket.

In ,the conventional arrangement for the type F coupler, the coupler carrier 1t) has its maximum height determined by retaining plates fixed to the lstriking-casting and projectingthrough slots in the side walls of the latter. While initially effective, such retaining plates have the disadvantage of -iixing that height regardless of wear, with the result lthat the coupler, after wear has occurred, tends to droop. The adjusting means of the present invention avoids such drooping by permitting the maximum height ofthe coupler carrier to be varied as conditions require.

It will be noted that the end walls 12 of the coupler carrier 10 are spaced inwardly from the side walls 4 of the 'striking casting 1 and that the coupler carrier has a pair of vertically spaced flanges-or'parts 19 at either end outstanding laterally from its end walls 12, the anges 19 with the end walls 12 defining a vertically ldirected laterally opening recess or relief 20. AIn the conventional arrangement for the type F couplers, these recesses receive the usual retaining plates-and serve to limit the extent of vertical movement of the coupler carrier, engagement of the retaining plates with the lower of the outstanding anges 19 determining the maximum height of the-coupler carrier. In the present invention theserecesses v20 -serve a like purpose. However, instead of retaining plates, Veach of the recesses '22 is adapted to receive a portion of one of a pairrof counterpart adjusting disks or adjustable stop members 21. Each of these disks may conveniently be mounted at either end of the coupler carrier 10 on a bracket'or'ange 22 which is outstanding laterally 'from kand may -be formed integrally with each of the side walls 4 of the striking casting 1. The .disks 21 abut against the underfaces 23 of these brackets andeach has a portion extending through a'slot 24 provided for thi-s purpose in eachof the side walls v4 below the'brackets.

The'

.T he mounting 1brackets.22;are'hori j zontally directed and substantially coplanar and the disks 21 are rotatably mounted thereon by suitable means, such as the illustrated cotter pins 25, each of which extends through an inner verticalhole 26 in one of the brackets and an .axial bore 27 in the associated disk.

i As will be seen from Figure 6, each of the disks 21 while, preferably circular` in cross-section, and having a flat upper face 28 abutting against the underface 23 of the related ange, has its lower face or surface 29 divided radially into the plane-surfaced segments or portions 30 disposed at different vertical levels and thus of diterent thickness. Each of the illustrated disks has four such segments or quadrants 30 for four adjustments of maximum height of the coupler carrier and each of these quadrants is interrupted substantially centrally by a bore or hole 31, these bores being radially arranged and extending through the disk parallel to its rotative axis, outwardly of its cotter pin-receiving hole 26, at a spacing corresponding to the radial spacing of the radially arranged bores 31 from the axial bore, each bracket 22 has a second or outer vertically directed hole 32 adapted to align in turn with each of the radially arranged bores 31 and seating, with the selected of the bores, disk settings positioning or locking means, which may conveniently be in the form of the` illustrated bolt 33 and lock nut 34. With its divided lower face 29 thus providing segments 30 of different thickness, it will be seen that the segment of each disk which projects through the associated slot 24 in the side walls 4 of the striking casting 1, as determined by the setting of the disk by the positioning `bolt 33, in turn determines the maximum permissive height of the coupler carrier 10, and that this height will vary, depending upon the segments of the disks then received in the end recesses 20 in the coupler carrier.

Stopped relative to each other circumferentially of each of the disks 21 the several segments 30 are divided or separated inwardly toward the axial bore 27 by radially 'and vertically extending walls 35. It will be noted, however, that these radial walls terminate short` of the periphery 36 of the disk and merge or intersect at their outer extremities with outer chordal walls 37, each of which is disposed normal to a radius bisecting one of the radially arranged bores 31. The purpose of these chordal walls 39 is to prevent encroachmenhwithin the pocket 7 in the striking casting 1, of a portion of a segment thicker than that intended at the moment to determine the maximum height of the coupler carrier, with consequent possible interference with the intended action of the adjusting disks. Cutting or setting back each of the thicker segments from the adjoining thinner segments and positioned to be substantially flush or coplanar with the inner face 38 of the side wall 36 when a thinner segment is set to project therethrough the chordal walls 37 ensure that nothicker portion of each disk will be presented to the associated of the lower of the flanges 19 on the coupler carrier than the segment for which the disk is then set.

Rotating about axes which are both vertical and parallel to the direction of movement of the coupler carrier under the force of its springs 14, the adjusting disks 21 enable the maximum height of the coupler carrier, as well as the limits of its permissive vertical movement, to be determined by the particular setting of the disks. If used alone, the adjusting disks, while providing the desired variation in height, would proportionately decrease the force of the springs as the maximum height of the coupler carrier was progressively increased to compensate for wear. Maintenance of the initial force `of the springs throughout the range of adjustment in height stems from the use of the removable spring plate 16 and its vertical positionability relative to its seat on the base wall 6 of the striking casting by the positioning lugs 18. With the spring plate thus held against transverse movement over a range of vertical positions, it is only necessary to raise the spring plate by an amount corresponding to the adjustment in the maximum height of the coupler carrier, as

by inserting shims 39 of the required thickness between the spring plate and the base wall 6 to maintain the maximum spring height constant and the force of the springs uniform at any setting. The shims 39 may be held in place by clamping their ends about the base wall 6.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved adjusting means for a resiliently supported coupler carrier by which the height of the carrier can be progressively increased to compensate for wearand the means against which the resilient means react can be correspondingly adjusted in height so as to maintain the spring force on the coupler carrier uniform throughout the range of adjustment. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention and that all modifications are intended to be included which do not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of means movably mounted at either end of said car-rier and engageable with horizontally directed parts thereof for limiting the maximum height of said carrier relative to said base, said means having portions at different levels selectively engageable with said parts on movement of said means for adjusting said maximum height, and means interposable between said resilient means and base for maintaining the force exerted thereby on said coupler carrier constant at the maximum height thereof set by said first-named means.

2, In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of means at either end of said carrier and engageable therewith for limiting the maximum height thereof, said means being rotatably mounted and having portions at different levels selectively engageable with said carrier on rotation of said means for adjusting said maximum height, and means interposable between said resilient means and said base for maintaining the force exerted by said resilient means on said carrier uniform over the range of adjustment of said maximum height.

3. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of a pair of members each mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, said members having portions at different levels settable to selectively engage with said carrier for limiting the maximum height thereof, a spring plate interposed between said resilient means and said base, and shim means intexposable between said spring plate and said base for varying the height of said spring plate to conform to the maximum height of said carrier as set by said rotatable members and maintain- `ing the force exerted by said resilient means on said coupler carrier uniform throughout said range of settings. 4. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means supporting said carrier for yieldable vertical movement, the combination of a member mounted adjacent said carrier for rotation about a vertical axis and portions at different levels on and selectively settable by rotation of said member for engagement with said carrier to adjustably limit the maximum height thereof.

5. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and spring means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of a pair of counterpart'members mounted at either end of said coupler carrier for rotation about a vertical axis, each of said members being divided substantially radially into portions at difthereof, a spring plate interposed between said spring means and said base, and shim means interposable between said spring plate and said base for varying the height of said spring plate to conform to the maximum height of said carrier as set by said rotatable members, and maintaining the force exerted by said resilient means on said coupler carrier uniform throughout said range of settings.

6. In a combined striking casting and coupler carrier in which the coupler carrier is spring supported in a pocket in said striking casting for yieldable vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of a pair of counterpart adjusting disks mounted for rotation about vertical axes on said striking casting at either end of said carrier, each of said disks being divided substantially radially into portions at different levels selectively exposable on rotation of said disks for engagement with said coupler carrier to adjustably set the maximum height thereof, means carried by said striking casting for locking said adjusting disks at a given setting, and shim means interposable between the supporting means for said coupler carrier and a supporting surface therefor on said striking casting for adjusting the force exerted by said springs to conform to the maximum height setting of said coupler carrier.

7. In a combined striking casting and coupler carrier in which the coupler carrier is spring supported in a pocket in said striking casting for yieldable vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of a pair of adjusting disks mounted on said striking casting exteriorly of said pocket for rotation about vertical axes, each of said disks being divided substantially radially into portions at different levels, said portions of said disks being selectively projectable into said pocket through slots in the sides of said striking casting and engageable y with said carrier for adjustably setting the maximum height thereof, said portions of greater thickness being setback and terminating substantially co-terminus at inner faces of said sides on projection of portions of lesser thickness through said slots, means carried by said striking casting for locking said adjusting disks at a given setting, and shim means iuterposable between the supporting means for said coupler carrier and a supporting surface therefor on said striking casting for adjusting the force exerted by said springs to conform to the maximum height setting of said coupler carrier.

8. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of means movably mounted at either end of said carrier and engageable with horizontally directed parts thereof for limiting the maximum height of said carrier relative to said base, said means having portions at different levels selectively engageable with said parts on movement of said means for adjusting said maximum height.

9. In a coupler support including a coupler carrier and resilient means acting against a base and yieldably supporting said carrier for vertical movement relative thereto, the combination of a pair of members each mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, said members having portions at different levels settable to selectively engage with said carrier for limiting the maximum height thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,937,817 Fenstermacher et al Dec. 5, 1933 2,509,988 Nystrom May 30, 1950 2,588,654 Nystrom et al Mar. 11, 1952 2,680,526 Kahler June 8, 1954 

